I'm Deeply Saddened... Brain cancer that spread?

Wow.... what a day it's been at our house.

First let me back track a bit. This week has been emotional hell for me. Why? My Mom LOVED Easter. She LOVED bunnies (I have exactly 1/4 of her collection!). I've been having a crappy "miss Mom" week - included in the fray was severe PMS. I had already decided to make a trek to Madison on Monday to put an Easter lilly at her grave. Madison is 1-1/2 hours away, but that's ok... Also.... after her grave I usually end up driving past the hospital where she spent so much time. The University of Wisconsin Hospital. Best in the state for Cancer and anything else too. So.... that's what this past week has been about. Cancer. Mom. Easter. Sadness. Bitchiness. etc.

Got a call early this morning from my sister. My niece has been dating a wonderful guy since last summer and it's serious. Or at least as serious as a Junior/Senior relationship can be in high school. Even though (technically) I have yet to meet him - I do feel like I know him thru my sister and niece. I know enough about his family to care about them. He's a twin, and his twin brother is currently in Branson, MO for a swing choir competition. I also know that their younger brother, Derek has been sick for two months with Mono. They've been to/fro the Dr's. and even had a blood transfusion -- again -- the clinic Dr's kept insisting that it was mono. They took a family vacation to Aruba returning a week ago. Apparently, Derek couldn't be left alone - due to severe throwing up and weakness. His Mom finally had enough and took Derek straight to the ER yesterday afternoon and insisted on a Cat Scan. They found a brain tumor. His parents stayed at the hospital, and Derek went in for surgery at 8 am this morning. The surgery is over. The Dr. told the family it's 90% that it's cancer, AND it had spread down into his spine. He's at the same hospital as Mom was. Probably all in the same waiting room as us. Probably drank the same crappy coffee, ate the cafeteria food that sustained me for a month. I am heart broken for the family....for my niece....for her boyfriend.

Derek is a Freshman in high school.

I know that Cancer can happen to anyone at anytime... but it always makes it sadder when it's a teen or kid (for me). Cancer sucks. Cancer rips apart families, and binds them too. Cancer can make the strongest person weak, and the weakest person strong. Unfortunately, my family knows all too well what it means. Been there, done that. I wish and wish and wish that no family has to endure this illness. I wish and pray that he is granted time, and dare I hope the chance to go thru chemo and/or radiation? How sick is that that I actually would PRAY for the family to have that chance? But if he is given that chance -- there is hope for a cure/remission. Where there is hope.... there is life.

As if I hadn't been playing with the "why does this happen" in my mind all week... now it's in technicolor. I will never fully know or understand why God chooses some families and not others to bestow cancer upon. God this really sucks.

So... if you could.... please pray for Derek. It's all I can really offer him at this point. I thank all of my friends in advance for their prayers for Derek.

Thank you!